William g



(No Mudel.)

W. G. STBVBNSON. HARP.

No. 356,803.V Patente-d Peb. 1, 1887..

@nme/osea Jr- UNITED STATESl PATENT OFFICE..

XVILLAM G. STEVENSON, OF MOREYCI, MICHIGAN.

HARP.

SPECIFECATXQN forming part of Letters Patent No. 356,803, dated Februaryl, 1887.

(No model.)

To @ZZ whom may concern.'

Beit known that l', VILLIAM G. STEVEN- soN, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Morenci, in the county of Lenawee and State ofMichigan, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Harps, of whichthe following is a speciiication.

My invention relates to an improvement in harps, and it consists in thepeculiar construction and combination of devices that will be more fullyset forth hereinafter,and particularly pointed out in the claims.

The object of my invention is to provide an apparatus by means of whichthe chords may be produced mechanically by the performer for a piece ofmusic written in any key, and this object l attain by the constructionhereinafter described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, inwhich-n Figure 1 is a top plan view of a harp provided withmyimprovements. Fig. 2 is a sectional viewl of the same, taken on theline u a@ of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a sectional view at right angles to Fig.2, and taken on the line y y of Fig. l. Fig. 4i is an end view of theplate C.

A represents a harp of the required shape, which is provided withstrings that are tuned by chromatic steps, same as a piano. Under thestrings ol' the harp, and on the soundingboard thereof, near its base,are inscribed the letters of the musical alphabet, as follows: Cfg, DB?,E, F, A, B, B.

On opposite sides of the harp, and at a suitable distance from the lowerside thereof, are projecting ears or keepers B, in which slides and issecured an endwise moving plate, C, which is supported at a suitabledistance from the strings. The said plate is p rovidcd on one side witha depending ilange or` plate, D, on which are inscribed a series ofnumbers, E l, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7-indicating the notes of the diatonicscale. On the upper side ofthe plate C, near the center thereof, areinscribedthree or more series ol" iigures, E F G, Snc.

H I K, 8vo., represent cross-bars, which are secured under the plate C,and are arranged respectively under the series of figures E F G, &c.From the ends of the plate C depend vertical rods L, which have heads ontheir lower extremities, and the said rods pass through the ends of thecross-bars.

Goiled springs M bear between the heads and the lower sides of thecross-bars and serve to move the latter normally upwardly against the nnder side of the plate C and out ol' contact with the strings. On thclower side of each cross bar are secured `a number of pieces of felt orother suitable material, forming projecting tongues N, that are adaptedto bear upon certain of the strings, so as to render them mute, and onlyallow those strings which are arranged intermediate inthe spaces betweensaid tongues, and which form the chord indicated by the' cross-bar,to besounded when the thumb ofthe performer is swept over the strings.

H I K, &c., represent vertical rods or keys, which extend throughopenings in the center of the plate C, and have their lower endsconnected'to the verticallymoving crossbars, the upper ends of said rodsor keys be- -ing provided with buttons, as shown.

The operation of my invention is as follows: If a piece of music is tobe playedwhich is written, say, in the key of G, the plate C is movedlaterally in the keepers B until the [igures 1 on the ilaugeplate D aredirectly over the strings, underneath which are the letters G.. if thefirst note of the air or soprano is a note with which the bar marked l 35 will form a correct chord, the performer with his left hand depressesthe key H', which lowers the crossbar H and' causes the tongues orpieces of felt thereon to bear upon all of the strings, excepting thosecorresponding to the notes Do, Mi, and Sol; then with thcthumb or fingerof the right hand he sweeps quickly across all of the strings from thebase upward, striking thenotc of the air or soprano last and mostdistinctly, thus playing the air or soprano and correct accompanyingchord. The remaining bars are operated in like manner, when they formcorrect chords with the notes of the air or soprano. It a piece writtenin any other key than Gr is to be played, the plate (l is moved so as tocauseithe figures l on the ilange-plate D toV come directly over thestrings, underneath which is the key-letter of the piece of music to beplayed. By thus making the plate C laterally movable across the stringsof the harp, and providing it with presser-bars having tongues or piecesof felt to render thc necessary strings mute, the air or soprano of anypiece of music with correct accompanying chords can be played readily inany key.

A little practice will render it possible for any person, even thoughunacquainted with music, to correctly render a musical compositionWritten in anykcy.

Having thus described my invention, I claim- 1. The combination, withthe harp, of the plate C, movable endwise across the strings, andthepresser-bars secured to and movable with the said plate, the saidpresser-bars indicating different chords and being adapted to bear uponcertain strings to render them mute, substantially as described.

2. The combination, with the harp, of the plate C, movable endwiseacross the strings, and the independently-movable presser-bars to bearupon the strings, the said presser-bars being attached to the. plate Cand movable therewith, substantially as described.

3. The combination, with the harp, of the plate C, movable endwise overand across the strings, with the depending flange-plate D, inscribedwith a series of numbers, E, indicating the notes of the diatonic scale,and the presser-bars indicating different chords movable with the plateC, and adapted to bear upon certain strings to render them mute, for thepurpose set forth, substantially as described.

4. The combination of the harp having the keepers B, the plate C,movable lengthwise in the keepers and extending across the strings, thepresser-bars movable with the plate G, and the springs to normally raisethe said bars out of contact with the strings, substantially asdescribed.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixedmy signaturein presence of two witnesses.

VILLIAM G. ."IEVENSON Witnesses:

F. WHALEY, D. B. MORGAN.

